The cost of a fire caused by a discarded cigarette which destroyed nearly half of Britain's National Motorcycle Museum collection is now expected to total &#xA3;25 million.

Although more than 400 of the 800 exhibits at the attraction near Birmingham were saved in yesterday's blaze, those lost are estimated to be worth several millions.

Spokesman Ken Wilson said insurers had yet to put a figure on the damage, but it was likely that replacing the wrecked building would cost at least-another &#xA3;5 million.

West Midlands Fire Service said today that a cigarette butt which a member of staff may have thrown away in a designated smoking area outside the building was responsible for igniting a small pile of cardboard boxes, leading to yesterday's massive blaze.

Hundreds of vintage motorbikes, many of them irreplaceable and having been used in world record feats and other events such as the Manx TT, were wiped out.